Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike speaks during an online press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
18:17 JST, June 18, 2024
TOKYO (Jiji Press) – Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Tuesday released her policy commitments for the capital’s July 7 gubernatorial election, including an expansion of free childcare and new housing subsidies for families raising children.
“We will make Tokyo a place where it is inexpensive to raise children and get an education,” Koike, 71, seeking her third term, said at an online news conference.
Her main challenger, Renho, 56, a lawmaker from the House of Councilors, will unveil her policy platform later the same day.
Parents in Tokyo are eligible for assistance that makes childcare essentially free for second and subsequent children, thanks to a combination of support programs from the central and metropolitan governments. Koike’s policy promise extends this to first children.
The platform also includes measures to alleviate rental costs and assistance for a painless delivery.
In the field of education, Koike pledged to work to reduce to zero the number of children waiting to be admitted to the ‘gakudo hoiku’ after-school facilities for primary school children whose both parents work, and the number of students per class at the public high school. schools up to 35.
She also announced a plan to introduce a regulation aimed at promoting women’s empowerment and efforts to remove so-called income barriers, which push many women to work shorter hours so that their annual income meets the thresholds does not exceed, which leads to higher taxes and social security contributions. charges.
Koike touted her achievements as governor, such as providing ¥5,000 per month to residents up to age 18 and making secondary education essentially free.
